The month of September holds a dazzling array of celestial wonders.
This month, you can look forward to a beautiful line-up of planets and bright stars – including catching a glimpse of minor meteor showers, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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Iziko’s Planetarium and Digital Dome released a map of the night sky visible above the Cape at 9pm, showcasing an array of astrological marvels to look out for.
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While various constellations and planets can be viewed throughout the month, the full moon on 21 September will limit the visibility of fainter objects.
For a high-resolution version of the map, visit www.iziko.org.za.
As per the South African Astronomical Observatory, avid stargazers can look forward to observing Mars and Jupiter in the morning sky before sunrise.
Mars is located near the stars of the constellation Gemini and will be near the moon on 25 September, though it is faintly visible low on the western horizon after sunset.
Jupiter is located near the stars of the constellation Taurus and will approach the moon on 23 September.
Fomalhaut (also known as the ‘Lonely Star of Autumn’) can be spotted in the southeast.
However, the Milky Way will be the star of the show (pun intended), showcasing an array of star clusters and nebulae.
Minor meteor showers, including the Piscic Austrinids, Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids can also be viewed after midnight.
Some easy-to-identify bright stars:
- Rigel: blue supergiant in Orion
- Betelgeuse: red supergiant in Orion
- Procyon: yellowish white star in Canis Minor
- Sirius: the brightest star in the night sky, located in Canis Major
- Antares: red supergiant in Scorpius
- Arcturus: red giant in Boötes
- Spica: brightest bluish-white star in Virgo
- Canopus: yellowish-white star in Carina
- Altair: a white star, the brightest in Aquila
- Regulus: blue-white star and the brightest star in Leo
- The Pointers: Alpha and Beta Centauri
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